Altair is expanding its additive manufacturing design capabilities with the acquisition of Gen3D, a startup out of the University of Bath, U.K.
Gen3D implements the implicit geometry method for describing highly complex geometries such as lattice structures in additive manufacturing. The company's technology uses next-generation implicit modelling techniques to rapidly create complex geometry not practical with traditional boundary representation (BREP) solid approaches.
With these capabilities, components can be designed simply by specifying the part's functional requirements. This covers loads, holes for fastenings, keep-out zones, ducts for fluid flow, and more. Additionally, the technology also has the capacity to automatically filter out component geometries that are likely to cause manufacturing issues further downstream.
Gen3D's generative design tool is used by design engineers in aerospace, automotive, medical and energy for applications like energy absorption, heat transfer and filtration. Its ability to quickly develop complex designs while reducing the risk of in-print failures has attracted Altair to integrate the technology into its Altair Inspire product family.
Altair Inspire is a family of software tools that facilitate simulation-driven design throughout the entire product development lifecycle. When used early in the design process, Altair Inspire enables designs focused on performance and manufacturability and allows users to develop high-performance products in a single environment. The acquisition of Gen3D will further enhance the capabilities of the Inspire platform.
"In addition to a powerful technology that helps organisations navigate the challenges of design for additive manufacturing, the Gen3D team brings deep industry knowledge and experience in advanced additive design techniques such as generative design, topology optimisation, and lattice structure generation," commented James R. Scapa, founder and Chief Executive Officer, Altair.